No candidate withdraws, presidential election to be held after 35 years

Voting in the country’s 23rd presidential election will take place on August 20, after neither of the two candidates withdrew their nominations on the final day for withdrawal.

Election Commission Senior Secretary Akhtar Ahmed confirmed the development on Tuesday.

He said neither candidate withdrew within the stipulated deadline, meaning a presidential election will be held on Thursday for the first time in nearly 35 years.

BNP-backed candidate Mirza Fakhrul Islam Alamgir and Colonel (retd) Oli Ahmed, nominated by the Jamaat-led 11-party alliance, are contesting the election.

According to the EC secretary, voting will take place from 2pm to 5pm on August 20 in the Jatiya Sangsad chamber.

At the beginning of the voting, Election Officer and Chief Election Commissioner AMM Nasir Uddin will brief the members of parliament, who are the voters, on the voting procedure.

Akhtar said the preliminary results would be announced immediately after voting ends.

“Our overall preparations have been completed. You will see how quickly we can announce the results,” he said.

A total of 349 MPs will cast their votes in the presidential election. The Chattogram-4 seat remains vacant following the cancellation of the elected candidate’s candidature by a court order.

The Election Commission announced the schedule for the presidential election on August 6 after the 22nd president resigned on July 24, citing health reasons.

As there is more than one candidate this time, voting will be held in the presidential election for the first time since 1991.

SKS